‘He promised to win gold and he did’: Russian boxer Batyrgaziev denies US rival Ragan to win Olympic title for ROC in Tokyo
Albert Batyrgaziev made good on a promise to leave Tokyo with the gold medal as the Russian featherweight denied the US a first men’s Olympic boxing title in 17 years when he edged out Duke Ragan in their final.
Batyrgaziev won 3-2 on the scorecards at the historic Kokugikan Arena to land the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team its first boxing gold of the 2020 Games.
“He had a fighting spirit for the Olympics. He promised to win a gold medal, and he won it,” said Batyrgaziev’s proud father from back home in Russia.
ROC's Albert Batyrgaziev wins gold in the men's #Boxing featherweight category! pic.twitter.com/aCWyTwmJNq
— Olympics (@Olympics) August 5, 2021
The boxer himself said his title was a dream come true.
“I’ve dreamed of boxing and becoming an Olympic champion since my childhood," Batyrgaziev was quoted as saying by the ROC Telegram account.
"I switched to this sport from kickboxing at the age of 18 and was able to achieve his goal. To make a dream come true and return home with gold, to keep my word."
In a tight three-round contest, four of the five judges separated the pair by just a single point, although an Indonesian official had the bout firmly in Batyrgaziev’s favor.
The Russian – who boasts a 3-0 professional record – was up against a former world championship silver medalist in the form of Cincinnati fighter Ragan, who was ultimately unable to land a first men’s Olympic gold for the US since Andre Ward in Athens in 2004.
At his post-fight press conference, the 23-year-old Ragan – who owns a 4-0 professional record – said he would be open to running it back with Batyrgaziev in the pro ranks for a shot at revenge.
Ragan's American teammates do, however, still have a chance to rectify their gold medal drought in Tokyo through super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr and lightweight Keyshawn Davis in the coming days.
For the ROC, the gold for Dagestani-born Batyrgaziev was the team's first in Tokyo after landing three bronzes – including from middleweight Gleb Bakshi earlier on Thursday.
The ROC is now up to fifth in the Tokyo medal table with 15 golds and 55 medals in total. China lead the way, followed by the US, Japan and Australia.
